1774-1810 The United States was largely a failed British colony after the failed Revolution in 1776. The states did not have any vast mineral or other sources of wealth that the other British Colonies had (e.g. India and opium). Furthermore, the colonies faced pressure from the French to the South, who had recently annexed Florida, which caused the British to invest major resources in border defense in the Southern states. This led to opportunities for revolutionary groups to commit acts of terrorism and treason in the Northern states, especially New England.